Sunday, 9 December 2012

Nelson Mandela still in hospital

Former South African president Nelson
Mandela is still in hospital for medical tests, although the government has said there is
no cause for alarm.

President Jacob Zuma confirmed in a statement on Saturday
that the 94-year
"Tata" as he is known by his supporters, was admitted to to a Pretoria hospital for
"medical attention" but it gave no details of Mandela's condition.

"President Zuma assures all that Madiba is doing well and there is no
cause for alarm," it said, referring to Mandela by his clan name.

Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said the
former president is undergoing routine tests at a military hospital in
Pretoria, the capital, just north of Johannesburg. Like many South
Africans, Maharaj referred to the anti-apartheid icon by his clan name,
Madiba.

“President Zuma assures all that Madiba is
doing well and there is no need for alarm. We have previously said, and
we repeat, that he will be receiving medical attention from time to
time which is consistent with his age,” he said.

However Maharaj gave few details, citing patient
confidentiality. He would not say whether Mr. Mandela was
taken to the hospital by helicopter or what medical tests he was
undergoing.

The military has largely taken over responsibility for the former
president's medical treatment. Maharaj said the hospital was chosen
because it has all the facilities Mandela needs and where his privacy
is secure.

This is the second time Mandela has been admitted to hospital, in
February he was admitted because of abdominal pain, but released the following day after
a keyhole examination showed there was nothing seriously wrong with
him.

He has since spent most of his time in his ancestral home in Qunu, a village in the impoverished Eastern Cape province.

His frail health prevents him from making any public appearances in
South Africa, although in the last few months he has continued to
receive prominent visitors, including former US President Bill Clinton.